Southwest: The Magazine

Southwest: The Magazine asked me to play a role, if you will, in their February 2015 cover story, “All the City’s a Stage.” The piece profiles one woman’s daring idea for Shakespeare in Detroit, a theater company that stages The Bard’s plays in unexpected locations across the city (think recycling centers and a YMCA). Writer Drew Philp, a theater critic for the Detroit Metro Times, shadowed founder Sam White as she took to the streets recruiting audiences and putting on shows. His story brings to life the actors, the plays, the locations, and—perhaps most importantly—the impact Sam’s vision is having on her hometown.

“All the City’s a Stage” is an underdog story through and through, which made it perfect for Southwest Airlines. When Southwest began operations in 1971, it was a tiny upstart flying between three Texas cities; the company now flies to more than 90 destinations—Detroit among them—and is the U.S.’s largest carrier (in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded). Southwest achieved so much success in large part because, much like Sam White, they utilized locations that others overlooked and set out to serve the underserved.

The story’s beautiful photography and accompanying captions also highlighted must-see destinations within Detroit, encouraging readers to interact further with the story outside the magazine’s pages. Yet we knew that Shakespeare’s works are most effective when they are seen and heard, so it was essential to have a video component to this project. Together with the help of Chris Crisman Photography, we filmed a series of Shakespearean plays set in iconic Detroit locations.